Container holder



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY-S n wl rli.

Feb. 16, 1954 H. PARSONS CONTAINER HOLDER Filed Jan. 3, 1952 Feb. 16,1954 H. PARSONS CONTAINER HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 3, 1952ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITE o STATES ear am OFFICE" GQNTAINER HQLDER, Herberti L. BarsonsNew Brunswick, N; J. rn icat'ionilann rs1 52a,.scria Nmzfiml (Cl. M t -15.4)

1 2 Claims.

This 'ivention relates to. container holding apparatus and is directedparticularly to 1m: provementsiin apparatus of this type for hold n icecreamcontainers infixed position in. a. refrigerating compartment.

Ice l cream is usualh packaged, in, two. andonehalf gallon containers.-at .the time of manufacture and the filled containers distributed. toretailers where they are stacked in horizontalrectangular refrigeratorsin rows of, two each, two. high in each refrigerator compartment. Icecream is dispensed. from the tonv container of. each, stack by scoops,dips or the like-as required.

In, dispensing the. ice cream it, is the. usual practice to dip; withthe right hand while hold.- ing. a. cone or receptacle in. the left handand unless the ice creamocontainer isiheld firmly in some manner whenthe iceoreamiis being dipped it will rotate or Wobble. This makes it.very diflicultfor. the clerk. to dip, the ice cream and results inconsiderable inconvenience, irritation and, inefficiency. Furthermore,the sidewalls of the refrigeratorv are,.as.a rule, coveredwith frostand, ice from. a position at the. bottom! of the rubber frostring tothebottom of. the refrigeratorc When the, containen rotates o1; wobblesagainst, the sidewall, the ice or frost isfreq-uently knocked, into111183168 cream; container which is obviously quite detrimental to theproduct. It is apparent, therefore, thatsuitable..meansvmust, ordesirably should, beprovided toholdvthe con.- tainer firmly at. alltimes;

Also, the depth of. theusualrefrigeratoi: compartment is excessive for:the height. of the two containers and as a. consequence the-topoithe topcontainer of. a stacl; is nominallyv positioned somewhat belowthe-rubber frost ring Thisre quires the clerk to extend his arm intotherefrig erator )Zurtheu than is necessary, which, results indiscomfort and possible injury to; the clerk causecl by, rubbing hisarmor: elbow against h K051391017 iced. sidewall of the-refrigerator,par.- ticularly when the ice cream. is low. in. the con.- taine-It. Italso. requires, in the case of, newly delivered. containers. in whichthe ice cream, is frequently too hard or unworkable, that the top oftherefrigerator. he leftaopenor completelymff so that. the-ice cream maysoftenpriortQ-cligping or dispensing: The refrigerator losses incurredby this. practice result in excessive use; of: the compressor and motorand rcduccd service; liie. Furthermore, when; loading the refrigerator;the excessive depth thereof frequently: results in the tt ndant d ppihe; container the; rei acrater: bott m t e by: cau in an mpact wh h isquiteidetrin ental.

A primary object-oi the present invention is the provisionof a simpleand. relatively inexpensive appfiltatusi which will. firmly andpositively. hold. ice cream containers in fixed position in; a.refrigerator compartmentso that they caninot rotate, shift, wobbleorotherwise move when ice cream is beln" dipped therefrom.

A further object of the invention is the pro vision of,- a, containerholding. apparatus which will positively grip the top-of aLcontainer-with: a substantially constant unyielding pressure to hold; itin, fixed non-rotativeposition and. which will. simultaneously. supportthe sidesof the con.- tainen and also of a, second container on whichthe first. container may r est, so. that the walls of. the containerswill not be crushed: or bulged out.

A still further object of the: invention is. the provision of; a,container. holding apparatus' of rigid construction which forms a.partial en:- closure for a container or containers and which is providedwith; open} spaces on. opposite sides of a containen or containers,through which the hands ot a clerk may pass. in inserting or rernovingthe containers.

Still another object.v of the; invention is the provision of acontainerholding apparatuswhich will actas; abrakimdwice when. a container isinserted thcreintoi in. a slightly tilted. positio thereby avoiding thedetrimental and. frequently damaging. imnact. on. the bottom. of therefrigerator. caused by dropping the container.

A, iurther object of the invention. is the provision. of a. containerholding; apparatus which will hold a; container in. listed elevated.position, in a refrigerator comhartment whereby the ice cream adjacenttheto-p portion of the container will become slightly. soften-for easein dispensing and. whereby the ice cream; may be dispensed with greaterfacility and ease and without dislodging andknocking; ice oirfrost. fromthe sidewalls; at the refrigerator into the; open; icecream container.

These and other ohjectsand. advantages ofthe invention will become. moreapparent by referonce. to: the accompanying drawings illustratinggreferred embodimentsof the-invention;

Inl such drawing:

Fig; 1 is=asideielevational view of one-form of container holding.-device; according to the invention positioned in a refrigeratorcompartment, the latterbeinashewnin broken lines;

h s; 2 1.51 t nol nv ew-oi the ntainerholde insu ance oilfiell.

Fig. 3 is an end View thereof; FJ-ia. 431s: are enlarged; sectionalaview; Off a. portion of the device showing the mounting of the toggleclamp assembly;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the portion of the device shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the toggle clamp assemy;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the clamping member;

Fig. 8 is an end view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified form of theinvention.

In the drawings the numeral ID designates a freezing compartment of arefrigerator ll, having the usual insulated walls l2 and rubber frostring l3. The refrigerator I! may be of suitable type in general use forthe storage of ice cream and similar containers and will usually includea plurality of adjacent compartments separated by interveningpartitions. Ice cream containers, designated herein by the numeral M arearranged in the freezing compartment in stacks of two, the lowercontainer I i of each stack usually, but not always, being an invertedempty container. At the present time such containers are made ofcardboard or similar material and are readily susceptible to crushing,bulging or other deforming forces.

In one preferred form the device of the invention consists of asupporting base structure [5 on which the containers rest and clampingand supporting elements It rigidly secured to the base structure I5 andextending upwardly therefrom on opposite sides of a stack of containers.The elements is form a partial enclosure for a stack of containers andserve to positively clamp the containers to the base structure andsimultaneously support the sidewalls thereof against bulging orcrushing.

The base structure 55 consists of a base member I! and supports 8. Thebase member I! preferably, though not necessarily, consists of a flatsteel plate approximately V of an inch in thickness and of such shapeand size as to be readily insertable into and removable from thefreezing compartment.

of containers in the usual refrigerator compartment it will beappreciated that the size may be varied to accommodate one or anydesired number of stacks.

The base plate I! is supported in spaced relation to the bottom of therefrigerating compartment by the supports 18, desirably formed of wood,and secured to the base plate in any suitable manner such as by screwsor the like. Three such supports may desirably be used, spaced as 4shown, and with the spaces between the supports preferably left open topermit access thereto and free circulation of air under and around thebase member.

The base plate I! is supported at a height above the bottom of therefrigerator compartment such that the top portion of the top containerI4 is positioned in the warmer area of the refrigerator slightly abovethe bottom edge of the rubber frost ring l3. This facilitates dispensingby bringing the container within easy reach of a clerk and further bypermitting the ice cream at the top of a newly inserted container tosoften. It also eliminates the possibility of ice or frost being knockedfrom the sidewalls of the refrigerator compartment into the containerwhen the ice cream is being dispensed as well as the discomfort andpossible injury to the clerk occasioned thereby.

The clamping and supporting elements l6 con- While the base member 11,as shown, is designed to support two adjacent stacks sist of uprightsl9, toggle clamps 24 and guides 40. The uprights l 9 are arranged inpairs to accommodate each stack of containers, the uprights of each pairbeing mounted in diagonally 0pposite corners of the stack receiving halfsections of the base in spaced apart relation so as to be disposed onopposite sides of a stack of containers positioned therebetween.Uprights 19 are preferably formed of rigid steel rods or bars screwthreaded at their lower ends as at 20 for threaded engagement withthreaded bushings 21 welded or otherwise secured to the underside of thebase plate l1. Uprights 19 project above the base plate [1 a distancesubstantially equal to the height of two stacked containers I4 and byvirtue of their threaded engagement with the bushings 2| may be adjustedfor small variations in height of such containers.

Adjacent the top portions thereof the uprights l9 are provided withtoggle type clamps 24 adapted to'be positively moved into unyieldingpressure engagements with the opposite top edge portions of the top oneof a stack of containers to hold them against rotation and lateralshifting movement while ice cream is being dispensed. In a preferredconstruction the clamps 24 each consist of a toggle lever 25, a clampingmember 26 and a locking arm 21.

The toggle levers 25 are pivotally mounted as at 28 in slotted endportions 29 of the uprights l9 and have transversely flattened, curvedend portions 30 provided with elongated apertures 31 and retainedtherein in any suitable manner as by washers 32 and. pins 32a secured tothe locking arms. Handles 33 are provided at the upper ends of thelocking arms for the convenience of a clerk in swinging thetoggle'levers 25 to and from their locking positions.

The clamping members 26 are pivotally connected, as at 34, tointermediate portions of the toggle levers 25 and are preferably curvedinwardly around the pivotal connections 28 in order to secure thedesired toggle action. Clamping plates 35 are secured to the upper endsof the clamping members 26 in any suitable manner, as by welding, andmay desirably comprise substantially horizontally disposed mountingportions 36 and downwardly extending locking portions 31 desirablyconnected to the mounting portions 36 by intermediate curved portions38.

In the operation of the clamps 24 the clerk grasps the handle 33 of thelocking arm 2'! and pulls upwardly thereon to swing the toggle lever 25in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. This raises theclamping member 26 so that the locking portion 31 thereof may be swunginwardly over the top edge portion of the top container of a stack. Theclerk then pushes down on the locking arm to swing the toggle lever 25in a clockwise direction thus bringing the clamping plate 35 intopositive unyielding pressure engagement with the top edge portion of acontainer, such clockwise swinging movement being continued until theclamp is in locked position.

The pressure exerted by the clamps 24 may be varied as desired byadjusting the uprights l9 up or down in the manner hereinbeforedescribed. Such pressure, however, should be a positive unyieldingpressure of sufficient magnitude to securely grip the containers inorder to prevent rotation or other movement thereof while ice cream isbeing dispensed.

The guides 40 are carried by the uprights l9 and form therewith asubstantially rigid structure which partially but not completelyencloses the stacked containers l4. Guides 40 are formed of fiat metalstrips or plates, preferably of steel and consist of horizontal bracketmembers ii mounted on the uprights l9 and vertical guide members 42carried by the brackets 4|. The brackets ll extend laterally andinwardly from the uprights l9 and are preferably curved on the arc of acircle having a radius approximately 4, of an inch greater than theradius of a con tainer.

The brackets ll of opposed uprights I 9 are designed to partiallyenclose a container l4 so as to leave between opposed ends thereof aspace of sufficient extent to permit the hand of a clerk to passtherebetween to facilitate insertion or removal of a container. Asidefrom this the length of such brackets may be varied to enclose more orless of the circumference of a container.

The guide members 42 are secured to the inner faces of the brackets 4|in laterally spaced relation thereon for snug engagement with theopposite side wall portions of a container positioned. between a pair ofuprights l9. Such guide members engage and effectively support the wallsof the containers, particularly a lower empty container, againstcrushing and bulging due to the weight of the upper filled container andalso due to the pressure of the clamps 24. Such guide members furtherserve to guide inserted containers into correctly stacked alignment oneabove the other. Also by slightly tilting a container when it is beinginserted the guide members 42 may be made to act as brakes therebymaking it easier for an attendant to insert a container without droppingit with consequent possible damage to the bottom of the refrigerator.

The embodiment of the invention thus far described is designed to beremovably mounted in an existing refrigerator compartment. In themodified embodiment shown in Fig. 8 the device is constructed as anintegral part of the refrigerator. For this purpose the uprights 19 arepermanently secured to the bottom 43 of a refrigerator compartment inany suitable manner such as by welding or the like and a containersupporting base plate 44 slidably mounted on the uprights l9 andvertically adjustable thereon to accommodate small variations in heightof the containers by a plurality of screw lifts 15. The screw lifts 45may be rotatably mounted in a member 46 secured to the bottom 49 of therefrigerator compartment and screw threadedly engage a threaded boss 41of the base plate id. Squared portions 48 are provided at the top of thescrew lifts 45 for cooperation with any suitable mechanism or tool forindividual or simultaneous rotation of the screw lifts to raise or lowerthe base plate 44.

In the operation of the device a first container which may be a fullcontainer or an inverted empty container is inserted between the guideslfi from the top and lowered to the base member ll (Figs. 1-7) or M(Fig. 8). In the event a full container is used it may desirably betilted when introduced so as to obtain the advantage of the brakingaction afforded thereby the guide member 42. A second container is theninserted in a similar manner on top of the first container. The guidemembers 42 guide the containers into correctly aligned and stackedrelation and simultaneously brake the fall thereof. When the containersare thus stacked the clamps 24 are placed in clamping position aspreviously described to secure the containers in fixed position fordispensing ice cream.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an improveddevice for holding containers such as ice cream containers innonrotatable, non-shiftable position for dispensing ice cream. Theparticular arrangement of uprights, guides and clamps, secured to abase, provides a substantially rigid structure which partially enclosesand supports the side walls of a container to prevent crushing orbulging thereof and which grips the containers with a positiveunyielding pressure to hold them against rotation, lateral shifting orother movement while ice cream is being dispensed therefrom.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of theinvention various modifications thereof will most likely occur to thoseskilled in the art to which the invention relates and may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of whichis indicated in the attached claims.

I claim:

1. A container holder comprising a base memher, a pair of spacedsubstantially vertically disposed uprights extending upwardly fro-m saidbase member, a plurality of transversely disposed substantially arc'uateshaped brackets mounted on each of said uprights and extending laterallyand inwardly therefrom to receive and partially enclose a containerpositioned therebetween, the opposing ends of said brackets being spaceda substantial distance from each other, a plurality of substantiallyvertically extending laterally spaced guide members secured to saidbrackets adapted to bear against a container for engaging opposite sidesof a container positioned therebetween to support the container againstlateral shifting movement, and clamping means pivoted on toggle leverspivotally mounted on said uprights and engageable with the top edgeportions of a container for securing the container in fixed position.

2. A container holder comprising a supporting base adapted to bepositioned in a refrigerator compartment in spaced relation to thebottom thereof, a pair of uprights threadedly mounted in said base andextending upwardly therefrom in spaced apart relation, a plurality ofarcuate bracket arms mounted in vertically spaced relation on each ofsaid uprights and extending laterally and inwardly therefrom, theopposing ends of said bracket arms being spaced a substantial distancefrom each other, a plurality of laterally spaced vertical guide memberssecured to said bracket arms adapted to bear against a. container forengaging opposite wall portions of a container positioned therebetweento support the container against lateral shifting movement, and toggletype clamping means pivoted on toggle levers pivotally mounted on saiduprights adjacent the upper ends thereof and adapted to engage the topedge portions of a container with a positive unyielding pressure.

HERBERT L. PARSONS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 619,237 Soule Feb. 7, 1899 1,532,913 Major Apr. 7, 19251,636,562 lick July 19, 1927 1,741,563 Graham Dec. 31, 1929 1,828,249Hammond Oct. 20, 1931

